The auxiliary verb ようだ is used for making observations. It states that something is ‘in the manner/way of (A)’. Like the auxiliary verb そうだ, ようだ may be used in a similar way to な-Adjectives (can be followed by な when acting as an adjective, or に when acting as an adverb). の is required before these constructions when it is describing a noun.

• ナオミはプロの歌手（かしゅ）のように歌（うた） う。
  Naomi sings like a professional singer.
• この先生（せんせい）は鬼（おに）のように怖（こわ）い。
  This teacher is as scary as a demon. (Literally, ‘scary like a demon’)
• 私（わたし）は鳥（とり）のように自由（じゆう）だ。
  I am free as a bird. (Literally, ‘free like a bird’)
• 最近（さいきん）はタブレットのようなスマホが売（う）られています。
  Recently, tablet-like smartphones are being sold.

Because よう (coming from the kanji 様（よう）) usually expresses the ‘manner’ in which something is existing/happening, it is regularly used when the speaker has direct personal experience from which they are drawing a comparison. This means that よう will sound far more confident than みたい, or そう.